The Secret to Unlimited Free Wi-Fi: Where to Connect Without Paying a Dime

This article includes locations for finding free Wi-Fi hotspots including retailers, websites, apps, service providers, and your neighborhood library.

Locate Free Wi-Fi Globally via WiFi Map

Millions of places with free Wi-Fi locations have been located in 200+ countries by WiFi Map. Sourced primarily by users, this is a fairly comprehensive service but can occasionally be out of date.

WiFi Map can be used free through its website. The site finds free nearby Wi-Fi by city and displays it on a map in a clickable list. The left-hand navigation bar then displays the specific address, password for access, and WiFi hotspot name.

You can also download the app (you will need it to show passwords, by the way). There is an offline map option so you can find spots anytime, too.

Use Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory to Find Free Wi-Fi Anywhere

Free Wi-Fi locations in the United States, Asia, Canada, the Middle East, and other areas can be found through The Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory.

You can look for locations by state, country, or region. You can also browse by special location, which supports looking for companies, hotels, airports, RV parks, and vacation rental property that offer free Wi-Fi.

Free Wi-Fi Locations Through AT&T

Lots of places use AT&T as their internet provider to offer free Wi-Fi. Some of these locations include McDonald's, Barnes and Noble, FedEx, Starbucks, and numerous hotels, plus airports.

Look for signs that display the Wi-Fi name attwifi. Most AT&T devices will connect automatically when your Wi-Fi is turned on. You don't typically need an AT&T account to access these hotspots.

Free Wi-Fi at McDonald's

More than 11,000 McDonald's locations offer free Wi-Fi. You can find these locations through a hotspot locator app. However, if you want free access at McDonald's only, and don't need to look elsewhere, you can search for it here, too.

Find a free McDonald's Wi-Fi location by searching for a restaurant and filtering to Wi-Fi. However, some owner-operators might disable Wi-Fi, in which case you won't be able to access it.

To use the internet for free at a McDonald's, connect to the network called Wayport_Access or attwifi_mcd, open a web browser, and then choose the Connect button. Note: Some McDonald's might use a different network option.

Use a Starbucks for Free Wi-Fi Access

Similar to McDonald's, Starbucks serves free Wi-Fi through another company, but instead of AT&T, Starbucks uses Google. It works in the U.S. and in Canada. Wi-Fi is free at all company-owned Starbucks locations.

When you give the Starbucks map your current location, it finds all the free Wi-Fi locations near you. You can also filter the results by service, such as for ones that offer mobile payment or 24-hour access.

The wireless network Starbucks uses for free Wi-Fi is called Google Starbucks. Select that network, complete the fields that display on the screen, and then choose Accept & Connect.

Free Wi-Fi at Your Local Library

Most libraries have free access to computers, and some also offer free Wi-Fi so you can bring your laptop or smartphone in with you to get free internet.

Here are some examples of public libraries that have free Wi-Fi:

• New York Public Library
• Free Library of Philadelphia
• Dallas Public Library
• LA County Library
• Brooklyn Public Library
• Wichita Public Library
• San Jose Public Library

It's best to visit your local library or access their official website for information on whether they offer free Wi-Fi and for details on how to connect to their network. Some networks are open, but others require a password or a library card number.

How to Get Free Wi-Fi Access Through Your ISP

Though it's not strictly a free way to get Wi-Fi, if you're a paying customer of select internet service providers (ISPs), you might be able to access free Wi-Fi hotspots at hundreds of thousands of locations around the U.S.

This works through Cable WiFi, which is a joint network name created by Cox Communications, Optimum, Spectrum, and XFINITY to bring free Wi-Fi to their subscribers. This means if you get internet at home through Cox, for example, you can benefit from your subscription when you travel.

Visit your provider's website for location maps and more information on how this works. The free Wi-Fi network you should look for with these providers might be called CableWiFi, but could also go by the company name, such as xfinitywifi or CoxWiFi. Log in with the username and password that you use with your ISP.